Cooling device for motor vehicles



E. E. HANS 2,300,358

COOLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT OR.

famzmi 5 6605 Oct. 27, 1942. E. HANS COOLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES:

4 Sheetg-Sheat 2 I Filed Dec. 11, 1940 5 aE Z/ d'mzm ans 06L 1942- E. E. HANS 2,300,358

COOLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR YEHICLES Filed'Dec. 11, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 dmun 0 st 27, 1942. E. E. HANS O 2,300,358

COOLING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. ll, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR atented Get. 27, 1942 STATES ATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cooling devices for motor vehicles. It is an object of carbon dioxide commonly known as dry ice may be supported in the path traversed by the air,

and to so arrange the container or containers such a cooling device including a housing having a fan therein and one or more containers for dry ice projecting into the path traversed by the air,

and means for diverting a portion of the air upwardly for discharge into the vehicle body inter- .mediately of its height while the remainder of I the air is discharged adjacent floor level. Moreover the upward diversion above referred to may be accomplished either by providing resistance to the air bow downwardly through the lower outlet so that some must flow upwardly for discharge, or by providing a baflie with the housing so that 'a portion of the air is upwardly deflected.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a cooling system including means for supporting dry ice in the path of air discharged through a housing, and to utilize to a large extent fresh air from outside so that an ample oxygen content is maintained with the vehicle body particularly at breathing level to offset any contamination that might be caused by gas given off by the dry ice.

Having thus briefly stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention I will now proceed to describe two preferred constructions with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure '1 illustrates a front elevation of the device mounted in position in a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a section on the-line 2-2 of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a side view thereof.

Figure 4 is a partial side view, in section, showing a modified arrangement for diverting some of the cooled air upwardly.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of another modi- -fied form of the device wherein the container is 5 centrally mounted in the housing, and a Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5 showing only the top of the housing and the container.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the modification shown in Figure 5 with a refrigerant receptacle in front of the bottom air outlet.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a known form of air receiving chamber mounted inthe frontportionof a vehicle body 2 to receive fresh air entering through a conventional cowl opening 2a; and depending from the chamber I is a flexible air duct 3 through which air flows from the chamber I.

Mounted in axial alignment with the duct 3 and beneath the latter is a housing 4 openatits upper extremity and having a downwardly and rearwardly directed outlet 5 at its lower extremity. Formed in the housing 4 intermediately of its height and extending transversely of the front of the said housing is a channel 2| upwardly from which passages 22 project which terminate in suitable rearwardly directed discharge openings 23. Supported in the housing above the channel 2| as by a spider 6 is a vertical motor I having a fan 8 secured upon the downwardly projecting extremity of its shaft.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, projecting laterally outward on opposite sides of the housing 4 'are receptacles 9 which in the case 85 illustrated are open at the top. In the present instance the sides I of the receptacles 9 are lntegral with and form portions of the housing sides. Mounted upon the outer vertical extremities of the receptacles 9 are covers I3 having outwardly projecting tubular guides l4 closed at their outer ends. Supported for sliding movement in the receptacles 9 are pusher plates l having tubular slides l6 mounted for axial movement in the guides l4, and H denotes helical springs in the slides and guides extending between the closed extremities of the latter and the plates l5 to urge the said plates towards the center of the housing. The covers l3 are suitably held in place as by resilient U-shap'ed clamps l8 which engage projections I9 formed on the sides ID of the receptacles.

Extending inwardly into the housing 4 in alignment with the sides and base of the receptacles 9 from the peripheral wall of the said housing are 55 perforate walls of containers 20 closed at their partly in the receptacles 9 in front of the plates I .I5 and partly in the containers 20 is constantly maintained against the inner extremities 20a of the latter by pressure exerted by the springs ll. Thus dry ice is constantly maintained in the housing 4 and in the path of air passing from the housing inlet to the fan 8 until it has all melted, whereupon the ice supply is replenished either by removing the covers 13 and pusher plates 15, or, in the case illustrated, it may be inserted from the top since the flexible duct 3 may be readily pushed aside for this purpose.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that air entering the cowl opening 2a passes through the chamber 1 and duct 3 into the top of the housing 4 where it comes into intimate contact with dry ice in the containers 20 and is discharged downwardly in the housing by the fan 8. Due to the provision of perforate sides and bases in the containers 20 which are usually made of wire mesh a free flow of air around the sides of the dry ice is permitted and the=said sides and bases offer a minimum of resistance to this air flow. Some of the cooled air is discharged by the fan through the housing outlet 5 and the remainder passes through the channel 21 and upwardly directed passages 22. In order that an ample flow of cooled air shall follow the latter course for discharge substantially at breathing level a deflector plate 24, Figure 3, may be provided in the housing beneath the channel 2|, or if preferred an apertured plate 25, as shown in Figure 4, may be mounted transversely of the lower portion of the housing to offer such resistance that a portion of the air is upwardly deflected through the said channel 2| and passages 22 while the remainder passes through the apertures through the plate 25 to the bottom outlet 5.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 7 the arrangement is the same except that a single refrigerant container 20b again having wire mesh sides is employed, and has an imperforate base 30 secured upon the spider 5 by which the motor 1,

is dependingly supported. The container is then centrally located in the housing 4 and maybe readily filled particularly if the duct 3 is made of flexible material. However to further facilitate the replenishment of the refrigerantA the container 20b may be provided 'with only three fixed sides, and the open side may"be'sufficiently closed by U-shaped straps 3| having resilient catches 32 thereon to engage opposite sides of the container between adjacent strands of wire mesh to prevent accidental dislodgment of the refrigerant therein. Thus by removal of the straps 3| access to the container 20b is rendered even easier. As any cooling medium such as dry ice solidified carbon dioxide) gradually melts in the container 20b, the invention also contemplates the provision of a receptacle 40 for the storage of a reserve supply for replenishment purposes. This receptacle is preferably also provided with wire mesh constructioi and is positioned in front of the housing outlet 5 so that air discharged from the latter is directed against the contents B of the' receptacle. Due to the fact that the cooled air discharged against the latter is at a lower temperature than other adjacent air the ice melts at a low rate, and at the same time this reserve is effectively employed for further lowering the temperature of the air immediately after its discharge from the unit.

From the foregoing it will be clearly seen that I have devised a simple and effective device for cooling the interior of a vehicle body with dry ice, and due to the use largely of fresh air from outside, together with the fact that a relatively large proportion of the cooled air is upwardly deflected, an ample supply of oxygen laden air is constantly being discharged substantially at breathing level so that no noticeable contamination is caused by gas given off by melting dry ice.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that further alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body and having an air inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity, means mounted in said body through which fresh air is adapted to flow into the housing inlet, a fan mounted for rotation in the housing to discharge air therethrough, means for driving the fan, at least one perforate container in the housing for supporting a refrigerant in the path of air passing therethrough, outlet means extending upwardly from the housing beneath the fan, and means in the housing 'for deflecting some of the air discharged by the fan through said outlet means while the remainder passes out of the outlet in the lower housing extremity.

2. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body having an air inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity positioned adjacent the floor of said body, a duct in the vehicle body through which outside air is delivered to said inlet, a rotary fan in the housing for discharging air downwardly therethrough, means for driving the fan, at least'one perforate container igf the housing on the suction side of the fan sa'i container being adapted to support refr-ig'eran t in the path of air passing through the "housing, upwardly directed passages extending from the housing on the discharge side of the fan, and means for deflecting some of the air from the fan upwardly through the passages for discharge rearwardly into the vehicle body intermediately of its height while the remainder of the air is discharged from the housing outlet.

3. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body having an air inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity, a duct mounted in the body through which fresh air from outside is adapted to flow to the inlet, a motor in the housing, a fan secured to the motor shaft to discharge air downwardly therethrough, and a container having wire mesh sides, said container being mounted in the housing upon the motor for supporting refrigerant in the path of air passing therethrough.

4. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising the combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for deflecting some air upwardly consists of a perforated plate extending across the interior of the housing between the discharge side of the fan and the housing outlet.

5. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising the combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for deflecting some of the air upwardly consists of an upwardly inclined baiile plate projecting from one side of the housing beneath the fan.

6. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body having an air inlet at its upper extremity and a rearwardly and downwardly directed outlet at its lower extremity adjacent the floor of said body, a duct in said body through which fresh air from outside is adapted to flow into the housing inlet, a fan mounted for rotation in the housing to discharge air downwardly therethrough, means for driving the fan, wire mesh containers projecting laterally inward from the housing periphery above the fan to support refrigerant, receptacles extending outwardly from the housing the sides and bases of which are in alignment with-the-sides and bases of the containers, free passage bei'riggafiorded between the receptacles and the containers, spring actuated means for feeding refrigerant from the receptacles into the containers, passages projecting upwardly from the housing beneath' the fan, said passages having rearwardly. directed outlets through which some air from the fan is discharged'intermediately of the height of the vehicle body while the rest of the discharged air passes downwardly and rearwardly through the housing outlet.

7. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body having an air inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity, a duct mounted in the body through which fresh air from outside is adapted to flow to the inlet, a motor in the housing, a fan secured to the motor shaft to discharge air downwardly therethrough, receptacles projecting outwardly from the housing, a perforate container in the housing in alignment with each receptacle, and means supported in each receptacle for pushing a refrigerant inwardly in the aligned container and into the housing as said refrigerant melts.

8. A cooling device comprising the combination set forth in claim 1, including a perforate receptacle to contain a refrigerant positioned exteriorly of the housing opposite the outlet at its lower extremity against which air is discharged to further cool the latter.

9. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a. vehicle body having an air inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity, means for admitting fresh air into the inlet, a fan in the housing for discharging air through the outlet, a refrigerant container in the housing past which the air flows, and upwardly directed outlets extending from the housing through which some of the cooled air is adapted to be discharged while the remainder of the cooled air flows through the outlet at its lower extremity, said upwardly di rected outlets extending from the housing beneath said container.

10. A cooling device comprising the combination in claim 9, including a refrigerant receptacle mounted in front of the lower housing outlet and against which the downwardly discharged air is directed to further cool it, said receptacle being located exteriorly of the housing.

11. A cooling device for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in a vehicle body having an inlet at its upper extremity and an outlet at its lower extremity. means for admitting fresh air into said inlet. a fan mounted in the housing to discharge air through the outlet, a perforate container in the housing for supporting a refrigerant in the path of passing air to cool the latter. a perforate receptacle for refrigerant positioned in front of the housing outlet exteriorly of the housing whereby air discharged through the outlet is brought into contact with the refrigerant in said receptacle and is further cooled thereby. and air outlets connected to the housing beneath the container, said outlets extending upwardly to discharge cooled air into the upper portion of the vehicle.

EDMUND E. HANS. 

